The present invention relates to an automated seat and/or lid assembly for a toilet. More particularly, it relates to the electronic control of seat and/or lid positioning relative to the bowl.
The typical toilet includes a pair of bowl attachments, namely a seat and a lid, which can be raised and lowered over the toilet bowl. Raising and lowering the seat and/or lid presents a challenge for many. Certain disabilities make the task of lifting the lid of a toilet difficult to accomplish. For example, where one is confined to a wheelchair raising and lowering the lid can be problematic when there is insufficient space around the toilet to allow easy wheelchair access. Many other circumstances and disabilities, such as having arthritis of the hands, arms, or back, impede a person's ability to easily and comfortably alter the position of the seat and lid of a typical toilet. For able-body persons, changing the position of the seat and lid is often perceived as an unsanitary inconvenience.
To address this, some devices incorporate a foot pedal to raise the lid of a toilet. While this may eliminate the need to use arms or hands, the technique requires that a person balance on one foot while applying a downward force with the other.
Other devices incorporate detectors to sense when a person is approaching or leaving the toilet. This approach may have difficulty accommodating persons in wheel chairs and children due to the placement and/or calibration of the detectors. Furthermore, the detectors are susceptible to erroneous signals as they may become obstructed by any one of the numerous items commonly found in a bathroom.
Still others have incorporated buttons that are linked to a means of automating the bowl attachment; however, the buttons are typically located on the periphery of the toilet bowl or rear deck. As a result, it can be difficult or inconvenient to reach the buttons.
Lastly, erroneous activation is a concern when the operation of the bowl attachment is automated. If the bowl attachment is activated while a person or object is on the seat and/or lid, the person may be startled, the object broken, or the automation hardware damaged. Many of the current detectors require line-of-sight to detect the presence of an object near the toilet. As a result, the detectors may become obstructed leading to erratic operation or an object may be out of the detectors line-of-sight yet still obstruct the bowl attachment.
A need thus exists for an automated attachment assembly for a toilet providing a sanitary, safe system for raising and lowering the seat and/or lid.